Method for employing new pipe along previously laid pipe

ABSTRACT

A method of emplacing a newly laid section of pipe with respect to a previously laid section of pipe by positioning a support member within both said sections, coupling a hydraulic jacking unit to said support, and operating said jacking unit to displace the newly laid section against said previously laid section.

United States Patent [72] inventor Remo R. Pizmgalll Shelburne, Vt. 2 lAppl. No. 812,542 [221 Filed Mar. 10. 969 r [23] Division of Ser. No.584,196, Oct. 4, 1966,

Pat. No. 3,469,298.

Aug. 17, 1971 Atlas Pipe Popper Corporation Farmingdale, NY.

145] Patented [73] Assignee [54] METHOD FOR EMPIJOYING NEW PIPE ALONGPREVlOUSLY LAID PIPE 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 29/431, 29/237, 29/252 [5 l Int. Cl ..B23p 19/00,

{50] Field of Search .4 29/43 1, 237,252, 200

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS i l 1 3,045,338 7/1962Elliott 29/431 X 3,259,964 7/1966 Engel 29/200 3,350,769 1 1/1967 Berry29/43l Primary ExaminerThomas l'lv Eager Attorney-William V. PesceABSTRACT: A method of emplacing a newly laid section of pipe withrespect to a previously laid section of pipe by positioning a supportmember within both said sections, coupling a hydraulic jacking unit tosaid support, and operating said jacking unit to displace the newly laidsection against said previously laid section.

PATENTEB M191 7 I9?! 3,599,131 5 sum 1 or 2 IN V EN TOR.

PATENTED AUG 1 7 mm SHEET 2 UF 2 INVEN TOR. 4 0/0 1. P/ZZA/fll/ METHODFOR EMPLOYING NEW PIPE ALONG PREVIOUSLY LAID PIPE This application is adivision of my application Ser. No.

584,196, filed Oct. 4, 1966, now Pat. No. 3,469,298, granted Sept. 30,1969.

This invention relates to the positioning of objects, and moreparticularly to the positioning of individual sections of pipe.

In many industrial and constructional situations it is necessary toposition one or more objects with respect to a preestablished referencepoint. Often there is limited access to the reference point, and to theobject being positioned. In addition, where the items are bulky they aredifficult to handle.

Such is the case in the construction industry where sections of pipe arelaid end to end in a trench. Each succeeding section of pipe must beproperly mated with the section that precedes it. The task of matingsuch sections of pipe is often confronted by a number ofdifficulties.

Frequently the trench has limited width. Occasionally it has substantialdepth. In some kinds of terrain the walls of the trench tend to beunstable; in other kinds of terrain rock for mations and ledges areencountered. Often the trench is partially filled with water. Thepresence of such conditions usually impedes, and sometimes prevents, thepositioning of sections of pipe by conventional techniques.

' Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to facilitate thepositioning of objects. A related object is to facilitate thepositioning of sections of pipe.

A principle object of the invention is a method of emplacing a newlylaid pipe against a pipe by positioning a support member and operating ajacking unit to effect emplacement. A further object of the invention isto provide a method to facilitate the positioning of pipe with respectto a preestablished reference pipe position. Other objects andadvantages will be apparent from a review of the application.

In accomplishing the foregoing and related objects, the inventionprovides an anchoring assembly that is constituted to controllably gripan interior surface of an object. The anchoring assembly includes springcontrolled arms which grip the interior surface and an extension whichis adapted to be coupled to a thrust producing jacking unit.

When the anchoring assembly grips the interior surface of a relativelyfixed object, and extends into a displaceable object, coupling of thejacking unit to the extension, and into contact with the displaceableobject, permits the application of a thrust which moves the displaceableobject towards the fixed object.

Thus, taken together, the anchoring assembly and the jacking unit form apositioner by which a displaceable object may be mated to the open endofa relatively fixed object. The invention is particularly suitable foremplacing a newly laid section of pipe in a trench with respect to apreviously laid section of pipe, the latter being maintained in arelatively fixed position by partial backfilling.

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention for emplacing sections ofpipe, the anchoring assembly includes a plurality of arms which arepivotally mounted at one end ofa longitudinal support member A spring isaxially disposed within the support member and acts upon at least one ofthe arms by way of a linkage so that in the fully retracted position ofthe spring, the arms are maximally pivoted away from the support member.In the maximally pivoted position of the arms, the anchoring assemblyhas an outer diameter in excess of the inner diameter of the sections ofpipe. However, when the spring is expanded, as by the use of a controlcable, the arms pivot towards the support member and the anchoringassembly can be positioned within a section of pipe as desired. As thecontrol cable is released, the arms grippingly engage the interiorsurface of the pipe and the anchoring assembly is held fixedly in place.

The other end of the longitudinal support member forms an extension withrespect to which the anchoring assembly is coupled to the jacking unit.With the arms of the anchoring assembly gripping the previouslypositioned section of pipe, the longitudinal support member extends intothe newly laid, succeeding section of pipe to the vicinity of its openend where the jacking unit is in abutting contact.

For one embodiment of the invention the jacking unit includes ahydraulic cylinder with a piston rod extension that is connectable tothe longitudinal support member. The hydraulic cylinder is mountedwithin a channel member that is disposed against the open end of thenewly laid section of pipe, Consequently, when hydraulic fluid is pumpedinto the cylinder, with the piston rod extension connected to thesupport member, the fact that the anchoring assembly is located in arelatively fixed section of pipe prevents the support member from beingdisplaced. Accordingly, the hydraulic fluid applies a thrust to thechannel member 'and against the open end of the newly laid section ofpipe, urging it into place.

In practice, the anchoring assembly is located within the two mostrecently emplaced sections of pipe. After the next section of pipe hasbeen lowered into the trench near the preceding section, the anchoringassembly is released by pulling on the control cable and drawn forwardinto the newly lowered section of pipe. The jacking unit is mounted atthe end of the newly lowered section of pipe, coupled to the supportmember and operated to emplace the last section. The jacking unit isthen decoupled from the support member and a succeeding section of pipeis ready to be lowered into place.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent after considering anillustrative embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective and cross sectional view of a typicalenvironmental setting for the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective and cross-sectional view of pipesections and a positioner in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the hydraulic jacking unit for thepositioner of FIG. 2.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a representative context forthe invention. Previously laid sections of pipe 11 and 12 lie in atrench 13, which has been partially backfilled.

Extending from the vicinity of the bell-shaped end of the first sectionof pipe 11, and through the second section of pipe 12, is'an anchoringassembly 20, which is one component of a positioner in accordance withthe invention. The first section of pipe 11 is engaged at the head endof the anchoring assembly 20 by the arms of a gripping unit 30. At theopposite end of the anchoring assembly 20, a support member 40 containsa control cable 41. The anchoring assembly 20 remains in place until itsgripper unit 30 is released by pulling on the control cable 41.

In general, the trench 13 is excavated a portion at a time, and crushedstone (not shown) is deposited to form a bedding. Bedding and backfillmaterials may be applied in a variety of ways. For example, asectionalized shield in the form of one or more steel box frames may beplaced in the trench I3 and advanced as each succeeding section of pipeis emplaced. Such a shield includes a chute for appropriately locatingthe bedding and backfill materials and, desirably, a platform for pumpsby which the trench is dewatered. The bell-shaped end of the mostrecently emplaced section of pipe is advantageously capped temporarilyby a bulkhead (not shown) to prevent the entry of materials during thebedding operation.

Once a suitable bedding has been established, the next section of pipe14 is lowered to the vicinity of the bell-shaped end of the previouslylaid section of pipe 12. lllustratively in FIG. 1, the next section ofpipe 14 to be emplaced is lowered using a sling 15 which isappropriately suspended, as by the boom of a crane (not shown). The newsection of pipe 14 is then ready to be locked into place.

Ordinarily, the task of locking a section of pipe into place isaccompanied by difficulties in alignment and in applying an appropriatelongitudinal thrust. These difficulties are particularly acute where thetrench 13 is deep and narrow. However,

the desired locking action is readily achieved in accordance with theinvention by reanchoring the assembly of FIG. 1 as shown in FIG. 2, andby using the reanchored assembly in conjunction with a jacking unit 50.The anchoring assembly 20 and the jacking unit 50, taken together, forma positioner by which the most recently laid section of pipe 14 islocked into place against the bell-shaped end of the previously emplacedsection of pipe 12.

To relocate the anchoring assembly 20 of FIG. 1 to the position shown inFIG. 2, the gripper unit 30 is released by pulling on the control cable41, and the support member 40 of the anchoring assembly 20 is then movedforward into the newly laid section of pipe 14. This forward movement ofthe anchoring assembly 20 is facilitated by wheel members 42-1 and 42-2which are attached to the support member 40. Also attached to thesupport member 40 is a support leg 46. The support leg 46 serves torestrict the position of the control end of the support member 40 and,thus, facilitate coupling to the jacking unit 50.

As portrayed in FIG. 2, the support member 40 takes the form of a hollowtube with a longitudinal slot 42 in the vicinity of the gripper unit 30.The slot 42 accommodates a longitudinally slidable link pin 43.Extending from the link pin 43 to the gripper end of the support member40 is an internal spring 44 for actuating the gripper unit 30. Theactuating tension applied by the spring 44 is varied by adjusting a nut45. In order to permit release of the forces applied to the gripper unit30 by the tension of the internal spring 44, the control cable 41extends internally from the link pin 43 to the control end of thesupport member 40, where it emerges and is accessible to an operator.

Central to the gripper unit 30 is a hub 31 in which two arms 32-1 and32-2 are pivotally mounted. Forces attributable to the tension of thespring 44 are applied to the arms 32-1 and 32-2 through associated linkmembers 33-1 and 33-2 at respective pivot points 34-1 and 34-2. As shownin FIG. 2 the pivot points 34-1 and 34-2 are on opposite sides of theircorresponding arms 32-1 and 32-2. Illustratively, the hub 31 is formedby bolting sideplates to upper and lower I-beam sections that are'weldedto the support member 30. The arms 32-1 and 32-2 are then pivotallyconnected to the sideplates by bolts 35-1 and 35-2.

When the anchoring assembly 20 is being drawn through the previouslylaid section of pipe 12 to the position shown for the gripper unit 30 inFIG. 2, the control cable 41 is pulled forward so that the link pin isin a forward release position 43 in slot 42. Consequently, the spring 44is expanded and the arms are disengaged from the interior surface of thepipe 12 and occupy release positions 32-1 and 32-2. correspondingly, thelinkages occupy release positions 33-1' and 33-2.

After the anchoring assembly 20 has been pulled by the support member 40to the position shown in FIG. 2, the control cable 41 is released. Thispermits the internal spring 44 to retract and apply an axial thrust tothe pin 43, drawing it along the slot 42 towards the hub 31 to theanchor position 43. The thrust applied to the pin 43 is transmitted tothe pivot points 34-1 and 34-2 of the arms 32-1 and 32-2 through thelinkages 33-1 and 33-2. The thrust at each pivot point becomes a torquewhich turns the arms 32-1 and 32-2 towards the inner surface of the pipe12. As a result, the arms become anchored by being wedged against theinterior of the pipe with respect to the hub 31. To promote theanchoring, the arms 32-1 and 32-2 include pad members 36-1 and 36-2.

Once wedging has taken place, an outward axial thrust on the supportmember 40 merely promotes further wedging. This is because an outwardthrust on the support member 40 applies components of force to the bolts35-1 and 35-2. which tend to produce further rotation of the arms 32-1and 32-2. Thus, the spring 44 is disposed so that its tension results ina wedging action which is assisted by an axial thrust on the supportmember 40.

Consequently, the anchoring assembly 20 establishes a reference withrespect to which the newly laid section of pipe 14 can be locked intoplace. Locking is accomplished by coupling the jacking unit 50 to thecontrol and of the support member 40 of the anchoring assembly 20.

Since the anchoring assembly 20 tends to remain fixed in the face of anaxially outward thrust on the support member 40, fluid pressure appliedto the jacking unit 50 will draw the newly laid section of pipe 14 intoplace.

Framing the jacking unit 50 is a channel member 51, which is adapted tobe seated against the rim at the bell-shaped end of the pipe 14.Centered on the channel member 51 is a hydraulic cylinder 52 containingan internal piston 53 shown by FIG. 3. The internal piston 53 isattached to a rod 54 which extends through the channel member 51.Attachment of the piston rod 54 of the jacking unit 50 to the anchoringassembly 20 is accomplished in conventional fashion, as by the use of aknuckle joint 55. A pump cylinder 56 mounted in the channel member 51forces hydraulic fluid, indicated by arrows, into the cylinder 52 byoperation of a pump handle 57. A packing 58 surrounds the piston rod 54at the channel member 51 to prevent the pump fluid from leaking from thecylinder 52 while-the newly laid pipe 14 of FIG. 2 is being jacked intoplace.

The action of the jacking unit 50 in drawing the pipe 14 against thepipe 12 is more particularly illustrated by the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 3 operation of the handle 57 of the pumpcylinder 56 forces fluid against the piston 53 and against that portionof the channel member 51 abutting the hydraulic cylinder 52. Since thepiston rod 54 is rigidly connected to the support member 40 of FIG. 2,it cannot be displaced. Indeed, an outward axial thrust, as discussedearlier, merely increases the wedging action of the gripper unit 30 ofFIG. 2 with respect to the earlier laid section of pipe 12. As a result,the entry of hydraulic fluid into the chamber of the hydraulic cylinder52 forces the channel member 51 towards the securely anchored supportmember 40 to the position of the dashedline channel member 51.Simultaneously the hydraulic cylinder 52 moves until its capped end isin the vicinity of the relatively stationary piston 53, at which pointthe newly laid section of pipe 14 has been moved in the directionindicated by the arrows of FIG. 2 to be locked against the bell-shapedend of the previously laid section of pipe 12.

Once the newly laid section of pipe 14 is locked into place, the jackingunit 50 is decoupled from the support member 40 of the anchoringassembly by releasing the knuckle joint 55, and backfilling takes place.A bedding is then prepared for a further section of pipe,

In a test model of the invention the anchoring assembly 20 was ofaluminum. The support member 40 was a pipe 1 1.5 inches in diameter witha wall thickness of 0.145 inches and extending for a length of 9 feet 3inches. The control cable 41 was a nylon rope and the pad members 36-1and 36-2 were of rubber.

The channel member 51 of the jack-ing unit 50 for a tested model of theinvention was also of aluminum, measuring 32 inches in length and 6inches in width, with channel sides 2 inches in depth and a thickness ofthree eighth inch. The jack cylinder 56 had a capacity of 2 tons.

Using the test model, an interceptor sewer line of pipe 18 to 24 inchesin diameter and 8 feet in length was laid at the rate of 200 feet perday in trenches with a width of 5 feet and a depth up to 19 feet.

Other modifications and adaptations of the invention will occur to thoseskilled in the art.

Iclaim:

1. The method of emplacing a newly laid section of pipe with respect toa previously laid, and relatively fixed section of pipe, which comprisesthe steps of:

l. positioning a longitudinally extensible support member within bothsaid previously laid, relatively fixed section of pipe and said newlylaid section of pipe,

2. anchoring said support member to said previously laid,

and relatively fixed section of pipe,

positioning said support member includes the substeps of a. releasingsaid support member from its anchor position in a previously emplacedsection of pipe and b. drawing the released support member into both themost recently emplaced section of pipe and said newly laid section ofpipe

1. The method of emplacing a newly laid section of pipe with respect toa previously laid, and relatively fixed section of pipe, which comprisesthe steps of:
 1. positioning a longitudinally extensible support memberwithin both said previously laid, relatively fixed section of pipe andsaid newly laid section of pipe,
 2. anchoring said support member tosaid previously laid, and relatively fixed section of pipe,
 3. placing ahydraulic jacking unit in abutting relationship with respect to saidnewly laid section of pipe,
 4. coupling said jacking unit to theextension of said support member within said newly laid section of pipeand
 5. operating said jacking unit to hydraulically produce a thrustwhich displaces the newly laid section of pipe against said previouslylaid section of pipe.
 2. anchoring said support member to saidpreviously laid, and relatively fixed section of pipe,
 2. The method asdefined in claim 1 wherein the step of positioning said support memberincludes the substeps of a. releasing said support member from itsanchor position in a previously emplaced section of pipe and b. drawingthe released support member into both the most recently emplaced sectionof pipe and said newly laid section of pipe.
 3. placing a hydraulicjacking unit in abutting relationship with respect to said newly laidsection of pipe,
 4. coupling said jacking unit to the extension of saidsupport member within said newly laid section of pipe and
 5. operatingsaid jacking unit to hydraulically produce a thrust which displaces thenewly laid section of pipe against said previously laid section of pipe.